Saturday, December 12, 2015

December 12, 2015 would have been Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday. In honor of the event, here are his top 100 songs, according to Dave’s Music Database. This list was created by using sales and airplay figures along with chart performance, number of appearances on Sinatra albums, appearances on best-of-Sinatra lists, and best-songs-of-all-time-lists as compiled by Dave’s Music Database.

Note: Sinatra recorded new versions of many of his songs over the years. In such cases, the earliest version is listed.

11. Young at Heart (1954)
12. Five Minutes More (1946)
13. Saturday Night Is the Lonelest Night of the Week (1944)
14. I Get a Kick Out of You (1953)
15. Star Dust (with Tommy Dorsey’s Orchestra & the Pied Pipers, 1940)
16. Somethin’ Stupid (with Nancy Sinatra, 1967)
17. White Christmas (with the Bobby Tucker Singers, 1949)
18. Witchcraft (1957)
19. All the Way (1957)
20. It Was a Very Good Year (1965)

21. They Say It’s Wonderful (1946)
22. Learnin’ the Blues (1955)
23. Love and Marriage (1955)
24. I’ve Got a Crush on You (with Bobby Hackett, 1948)
25. Almost Like Being in Love (1947)
26. Autumn in New York (1949)
27. Come Fly with Me (1958)
28. I’ve Got the World on a String (1953)
29. Nancy with the Laughing Face (1945)
30. Summer Wind (1966)

81. South of the Border (Down Mexico Way) (1953)
82. Nevertheless I’m in Love with You (1950)
83. It Only Happens When I Dance with You (1948)
84. What’ll I Do? (1948)
85. If I Loved You (1945)
86. It Started All Over Again (with Tommy Dorsey’s Orchestra, 1943)
87. Angel Eyes (1958)
88. You Make Me Feel So Young (with Count Basie, 1956)
89. I Fall in Love Too Easily (1945)
90. From Here to Eternity (1953)

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Scott Weiland, best known as the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots and the supergroup Velvet Revolver, died from a drug overdose on 12/3/2015 while on tour in Bloomington, Minnesota. He was 48. In honor of Weiland, here are his top 20 songs according to Dave’s Music Database, which compiles sales, chart performance, radio airplay, and best-of lists.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

More than any other individual, Max Martin may be responsible for the sound of pop music in the 21st century. As a producer and songwriter, he made a name for himself in the late ‘90s as the man behind hits by Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, and N Sync. He went on to helm songs by Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Pink, and Taylor Swift. He has co-written 21 #1 songs (noted below) on the Billboard Hot 100, putting him third behind Paul McCartney (32) and John Lennon (26). He’s been behind 54 top-ten hits, putting him ahead of Madonna, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles. He has produced 19 #1 hits, putting him second only to George Martin (23).

So, in celebration of Martin’s accomplisments, here are his top songs of all time according to Dave’s Music Database:

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

In the history of the Billboard charts, 81 songs have reached number one in the hands of more than one artist. It was a common practice in the pre-rock era for multiple artists to record a song and for those versions to chart simultaneously. In the rock era, the occasional remake of a former #1 would find its way to the top. The most recent example is Christina Aguilera and company’s 2001 remake of LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade.”

Also worthy of note: a handful of songs have hit #1 more than twice. “In the Good Old Summertime,” “The Glow-Worm,” and “To Each His Own” each topped the chart with three versions. Four different acts took “Peg O’ My Heart,” “Over There,” and “Till We Meet Again” to the top.

What follows is a ranking of the 81 songs to top the chart by more than one act. The list is ordered by total weeks spent at #1. After a song title, each chart-topping version is listed with the act, year it first charted, and weeks each version topped the chart.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Fans of Denis Leary's stand-up comedy and TV shows like The Job and Rescue Me know to expect a no-holds-barred, brash style which will have an insightful, yet brutal, honesty. With the possible exception of his voice work in the animated Ice Age movies, Leary could never be accused of being warm, cuddly, and lovable. Thus it should come as no surprise that Leary’s talent for in-your-face, deeply-flawed characters is on full display in the new FX series Rock & Roll.

Leary isn’t out to glamorize the rock lifestyle or make himself look cool. Johnny Rock, lead singer of the Heathens, is an egotistical jerk unaware of how much he looks like an idiot with his childish behavior. He boasts in a bar about a younger woman’s attraction to him, only to find himself punched in the crotch when it turns out to be his daughter.

As the daughter, Elizabeth Gillies holds her own with Leary. She insists he revive his songwriting partnership with Heathens’ guitarist Flash (played by John Corbett) to boost her career. Instead of seeing an opportunity to connect with the daughter he never knew he had, Leary sees only dollar signs. By the end, however, his own twisted version of fatherly protectiveness sets up a hilarious scene where he lambasts his bandmates for objectifying his daughter.

Based on Leary’s track record, this won’t veer into sappy territory with touching scenes of father and daughter bonding. He’ll continue his bad behavior and frustrate everyone around him. She will prove to be the only one capable of taming him. I’m sold.

19. You Can’t Always Get What You Want
20. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

Seeing the Rolling Stones in concert was a mistake. I made the mistake of not bringing my son, thinking a 12-year-old couldn’t care less about a band only on his radar because of Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger.” I made the mistake of joking that these septuagenarians (except for young pup Ronnie Wood – all of 68) would have difficulty commanding a stage, given the interference of their walkers, canes, and wheelchairs. I made the mistake of dismissing Mick Jagger’s a reputation as possibly rock music’s greatest frontman ever. Finally, I made the mistake of thinking it would be a good idea to go to any other concert again after this one.

I’ve seen my fair share of rock legends on stage – Allman Brothers, Pat Benatar, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Journey, John Mellencamp, The Police, Bruce Springsteen, Styx, Roger Waters, and Yes all spring to mind. However, none came close to matching the stage presence of Mick Jagger. The man didn’t just command a stage, but an arena with his exhaustive prancing and ability to get a crowd revved up. This was not a fat cat millionaire just phoning it in.

Aside from Jagger, there were a lifetime of memorable musical moments. How does one not melt when Keith Richards launches into the arguably most famous guitar riff off all time with “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”? Who wouldn’t be moved by the choir at the beginning of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”? How about the chops of the female singer on “Gimme Shelter” or the bass solo during “Miss You”? Hell, the final curtain call with just Jagger, Richards, Woods, and Charlie Watts bowing to their audience was tear-worthy.

So I offer my apologies to my son for not making this his first show. I apologize to the Stones for ever dismissing them as past their prime. I apologize to every other performer I’ll ever see when I say, “Well, they were good, but they weren’t the Rolling Stones.”

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Disco is one of the most-aligned musical genres, ridiculed for its robotic music and simplistic lyrics. However, those who rip on it for being light, trivial music miss the point: that’s what it was designed to be. It was supposed to be fun, party music and wasn’t created with the idea of standing the test of time. However, these songs exemplify how, like it or not, some of these songs have endured.

This list was created by aggregating 40 lists and compilation albums focused on disco. See sources at the bottom of the page.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Tears for Fears has an ‘80s nostalgia vibe to them, considering they had their biggest hits in that decade (four top ten hits in the U.S., including #1’s “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and “Shout”). Understandably, their show focused mostly on this output (4 songs from 1983’s The Hurting, 3 from 1985’s Songs from the Big Chair, and 4 from 1989’s The Seeds of Love). Still, I hoped for a few more songs from that era, especially “The Working Hour,” “I Believe,” and “Mother’s Talk” (the last two were even singles).

The “band’s” nineties output (1993’s Elemental and 1995’s Raoul and the Kings of Spain) were really Roland Orzabal solo efforts since Curt Smith had flown the coop. “Break It Down Again” was the only song they played from either album, although they did a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep,” which was a B-side from 1995. I had hoped for more – “Goodnight Song,” “Power,” and “God’s Mistake” were all minor singles from that time which would have been nice to see live.

The two reunited in 2004 for Everybody Loves a Happy Ending and again on the Ready Boy and Girls? EP in 2014, but neither appeared on anyone’s radar but the TFF faithful. They tackled three songs from the Happy Ending, but nothing from the EP. I was hoping for their cover of Arcade Fire’s “Ready to Start.”

Friday, June 5, 2015

Prior to this concert I knew three Ben Harper songs – “Steal My Kisses,” “Diamonds on the Inside,” and “With My Own Two Hands.” I tend to pick my concerts based on acts which I know backwards and forwards. I also couldn’t have told you much about Harper. I’d have guessed his age at about ten years younger than he is (45) and his discography to be about half what it is (12 studio albums). My buddy Paul didn’t know much more about Harper, but talked me into going. I’m glad he did.

While the old man in me craved a chair by the encore, I was certainly not bored by the music. Harper and the Innocent Criminals were versatile performers who clearly enjoy their jobs. They incorporated reggae, ear-piercing guitar rock, acoustic folk, alternative, and even elements of prog-rock. Harper frequently changed out guitars and was generous with highlighting the band, which included multiple – and well-deserved – choruses of cheering and applause for the lively percussionist.

The set list ignored the last five albums, but that makes sense considering that this is the Innocent Criminals’ reunion with Harper after a seven-year layoff.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

These are the top albums from 2000-2009 according to Dave’s Music Database, which factors in sales, chart data, awards, and appearances on best-of lists. All but four of these make the DMDB’s Top 1000 Albums of All Time list.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Happy birthday to Bob Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman on this day in 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota. He has become one of rock music’s most iconic performers and his name is synonymous with the term “folk rock.” In celebration, here are his top albums according to Dave’s Music Database, which factors in sales, chart data, awards, and appearances on best-of lists.

Saturday, May 23, 2015

This is a list of the #1 albums of all time according to the UK album charts. It includes all albums logging eight weeks or more at the top. For albums logging the same number of weeks at #1, they are listed in order of highest ranking according to Dave’s Music Database. This list was originally posted on Facebook on 4/19/11. and updated on 5/23/15.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Below is a list of the top 1000 albums of all time, according to Dave’s Music Database. To see more details about the creation and goals of this list, click on the appropriate link below or just head straight to the list.

When I set out to create this list as the 20th century was drawing to a close, my aim was to compile a “best of the best” list; that is, combine all the other “best-of” lists out there into one. The goal in averaging multiple lists together was to weed out the idiocyncrisies of individual lists and create a more objective, definitive best-of list. Here are links to the lists, chart information, and sales data that went into the creation of the DMDB 1000:

One of the huge bonuses in compiling lots of lists is the better representation of multiple genres of music. Most lists are very skewered toward post-‘50s rock and roll. By pooling lists from multiple sources, the DMDB 1000 represents classical, show tunes, jazz, folk, country, R&B, rock and roll, adult contemporary, pop, rap, and more.

Representing multiple genres poses a challenge, however. There are cases where there are multiple versions of the same work. When that occurred, all versions are compiled into one entry. This possibility most likely occurred in one of three situations:

classical works that are recorded multiple times (example: Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations is listed as being composed by Bach in 1741 and no specific recordings of that work are noted).

cast album recordings that later surfaced as soundtracks as well (example: 1959’s The Sound of Music cast album and 1965’s soundtrack version are listed as one entry under 1959 and credited to writers Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II).

British rock albums in the mid-‘60s that were slightly altered when they hit American shores (example: The Beatles U.K. album With the Beatles was released in the U.S., with some alterations, as Meet the Beatles!. The first release is generally what is listed).

In addition to the aforementioned re-definings of what makes an album an album, the DMDB also wanted to be as inclusive as possible in different formats of albums. Some best-of lists, for example, disregard compilations or live recordings and focus only on studio efforts. As such, the DMDB 1000 list contains standard studio albums alongside “specialty albums,” noted by the following codes: compilations (G), box sets (box), live recordings (live), soundtracks (ST), cast albums (cast), various artists collections (VA), classical works (classical), operas (opera), and Christmas recordings (X).

The more inclusive approaches described above diminished the merits of presenting this as a ranked list. Any list generates enough heat about what makes the cut and what doesn’t without a debate over why an album is ranked at #999 instead #998. However, a debate over whether Beethoven’s 5th Symphony is a more important work than Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon is most likely to keep people firmly entrenched in their genre camps. By not focusing on where an album is on the list, the focus becomes, more appropriately, why it makes the list. Since all the albums link to individual DMDB pages, you can check out those justifications for yourself and see if you think the album is list worthy.

Another benefit of presenting this list chronologically is how it shows the emergence of new public tastes and the development of the album over the years. Combined with the no-genres-excluded approach, this makes for a fascinating observation of how entire musical genres dominated at different times. In a nutshell, one can see the following trends:

the dominance of classical works, which would later fit into an album-length format, from the pre-20th century era through the first quarter of the 20th century (Beethoven, Bach)

the rise of cast recordings of hugely successful Broadway productions in roughly the second quarter of the 20th century (Rodgers & Hammerstein)

the beginnings of “albums” recorded by single artists with the predominace of jazz recordings in the ‘40s and ‘50s (Miles Davis, John Coltrane)

the birth of rock & roll in the mid-‘50s (led by Elvis Presley) through to the early-‘60s British Invasion (led by The Beatles)

the explosion of the album as a true force in the ‘60s (The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones)

the development of the album rock format in the late-‘60s and early-‘70s (Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd)

the rise of the superstar mega-selling albums of the late-‘70s and early-‘80s (Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson, Prince, Bruce Springsteen)

the emergence of critically acclaimed indie and experimental albums in the ‘80s (U2, REM, Talking Heads)

the move toward albums that seemed to launch their own genres in the ‘90s (Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day)

the attempt to keep the album format alive in the 21st century with music that harkens back to earlier decades (The Strokes, The White Stripes)

It should be acknowledged that listing these albums chronologically is not as easy as it sounds. Even if this were just a list of standard studio efforts, release dates aren’t always available and sometimes an album’s first chart appearance (c.) had to be used. In some cases, neither date was available and an album and it was just listed by year of release. Further complicating the matter was the issue of multiple recordings, such as show tunes or classical works discussed above. In such cases, these works may be listed by various dates including when the album or work was written or composed (w.), first performed (p.), or opened on Broadway (b.).

Compilations and live albums are listed by the date of recording (rec.) instead of release. For example, The Beatles 1967-1970 is a greatest hits collection that was released in 1973, but recorded from 1967-1970. Its date notation is (rec. 1967-70, released 4/2/73), meaning the album is listed under ‘1970.’